Akari's Kids
by Anime-Yasha
Summary: Fate has many strings that entwine us all. What if your fate was entwined to those you feared the most and those you loved the most? Mostly follows the time line. SasukexOC, GaaraxOC. Gin.
1. Happy Birthday

**Akari's Children**

**By: Gin-Yasha**

**Disclaimer-** Do you really think someone our age can own Naruto? I really didn't think so.

**Summary- **Fate has many strings that entwine us all. What if your fate was entwined to those you feared the most and those you loved the most? Mostly follows the time line. SasukexOC, GaaraxOC.

**Author's Note- **I was bored and I wanted something to do. For your information: Mori means forest, Neko means cat, Tsuchi means earth, Akari means light, Kurai means dark, and Kaji is supposed to mean fire. _:This means mind speaking:_

**Happy Birthday**

A seven year old girl named Mori sat on the chair between Kaji and Neko staring blankly at the Hokage. They would never be the same again. . . .

**FLASH BACK**

The smell of smoke and blood were over-whelming as Mori, Kaji, and Neko scrambled home from eating ramen in town with Tylendel. As they opened their house's door, smoke poured out.

Neko quickly made a few hand signs ending with tiger and yelled,"Whirlwind no jutsu!"

A huge water tornado suddenly appeared and put out the fires while Mori yelled,"Blinding Gust no jutsu!" Birds appeared and started flapping their wings, creating a strong wind that got rid of the smoke. Then they ran inside only to find their family dead with their sister Kurai standing over them. The carnage of their family's bodies had left them speechless.

"The only reason I let you live is so that you may someday get your revenge. Hate me, despise me, kill me." Kurai said evenly. Kaji had a face of pure grief, Neko looked as if her heart was on fire, while Mori's face held no emotion.

"How dare we call you our sister?" Mori screamed,"Do you hate us or something? We loved you! You were our sister, a friend!"

"Don't you care!" yelled Neko in pure anger.

"We loved you! And then you treat your family like dirt!" yelled Kaji who had come out of grief and now only had room for hatred.

"No, you're the one who doesn't understand. I only-" Kurai started.

"You only, YOU ONLY! You only don't understand! We disown you. You're no longer our sister!" screamed Mori with hate.

"Have it your way." Kurai said quietly. Then she made ten hand seals and yelled,"Sleeping-Near Death no jutsu!" A deadly quiet filled the room as Kaji, Neko, and Mori fell into a near death trance. A trance that they would awaken from in nearly two hours. They would burn the house hoping to burn their memories as well. . . .

"Hey 'Lendel, where are we?" asked a girl with blue eyes.

"Yea!" agreed a wavy red-haired girl.

The boy looked at his companions and grinned, his golden-blond hair falling over his sable eyes,"Kaji said I was supposed to wait until she was ready before you could go and meet up with her."

"Ok then. Is she ready 'Lendel, cuz I'm bored!" exclaimed the red-head impatiently.

"No, you asked that not even a minute ago! Can't you wait Neko?" asked Tylendel grinning happily.

"What do you think?" asked the other girl.

"I dunno. Why aren't you impatient Mori?" asked Tylendel still grinning.

"Because if I got impatient, then I might kill you." smiled Mori happily.

"Mori, you're a sadist." said Neko slowly.

"No, you are. I get it from you." explained Mori with an evil grin. Soon Mori and Neko were locked in a battle of wits: Static Electricity Poking. Mori was winning.

When it evolved to fighting with jutsus Tylendel said,"I'm pretty sure Kaji's ready, and I'm leaving with or without you."

The fight stopped as Mori said pointedly,"You just wanna go see her. You like Kaji! Tylendel likes Kaji! Tylendel likes Kaji! Tylendel likes Kaji. . . ."

Then Neko started to sing,"Tylendel and Kaji sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carrage! That's not all, that's not all. I can see their baby bouncing off the wall. That's not all, that's not all. . . ." Neko continued to sing while Tylendel took them to the training field.

"Finally!" exclaimed a girl with black hair and red eyes,"I thought you forgot about me!"

"You know that I wouldn't forget you!" said Tylendel with a blush.

"Yea, 'cuz he likes you! Mwahahaha!" exclaimed Neko with her newly founded eight year old's enthusiasm (G.Y.- And evilness! A.Y.- Too true- HEY!)

"So!" shouted Tylendel still blushing.

"Awww! That's so cute!" sighed Mori.

"You only say that 'cuz you're a hopeless romantic!" teased Kaji who was grinning. A second later Kaji yelled,"I'm dying. I'm dying. She poked me to death!"

"Yea, on the nose. Once. Haha!" yelled Neko. Then Mori grabbed Neko by the arm and made her sit down to eat some cake. After the girls finished eating Kaji and Neko decided to spar. Mori sat in a distant tree watching as her sisters beat the poop out of each other.

"Water Blockade no jutsu!" hollered Neko with the sign of snake. Then a huge fence of water sprang up around Kaji.

"Wind Blast no jutsu! yelled Kaji with the rabbit hand-sign as she made a gust of wind come out of her mouth to blow away the water. A few minutes later Mori saw a boy standing in the bushes on the other side of the training field. He looked at Kaji and Neko before glancing back at Mori. Then he ran off.

Of course Mori decided to follow him. She slipped around the sparring and then carefully walked into the woods. As she walked along the stone path she saw a wall of tall grass. There was a small path through it and Mori was compelled to walk the path. At most points the grass was over her head, but Mori continued along until the grass suddenly died away into a clearing with the same boy tossing shuriken at a tree with anger.

"What did that tree do to you to deserve that?" asked Mori with a grin that could be heard.

The boy looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a cocked head while saying with eyes full of mischief,"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. Even if they are pretty strangers."

Mori grinned and said,"Thanks for that wonderful complement, and just so you know, my name is Yume Mori. What's yours?"

The boy grinned again,"My name's Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Hi Sasuke!" exclaimed Mori,"How old are you, I'm eight! Are you here by yourself? Wanna be my friend!"

"Cool, I'm eight too! Sure, I'd love to be your friend! But yea, I'm here alone... my brother Itachi won't help me practice with shuriken."

Mori frowned,"Itachi doesn't sound very nice. Oh well... if you want you can come and meet my sisters and our other friend."

"Sure!" shouted Sasuke happily. They walked back through the grass unnoticing that they were being watched. Back at the clearing Mori could tell that Neko had won the spar.

"Hey!" Mori yelled at Neko, trying to get her attention.(G.Y.- lol! Short attention span! -.- U ) "This is Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Kaji, that's Tylendel, and the red-haired blob over there is Neko."

Sasuke hid behind her,"She's scary!"

"We know." Tylendel said lazily.

"Once you know her you get used to it." agreed Kaji

Mori grinned,"Neko! Get over here! New friend!"

Neko came bouncing over with something in her hands,"Hi! My name's Neko! I like to play tag! Wanna be my friend? I like new friends! I like potatoes! Parkay! Wabbuffet! Wanna see my new pet? ...hey, that rhymed! I was a poet 'n' I didn't know it!"

"Uhhh. . . .sure?" he said with a cautious smile.

A man came out of the woods then,"Sorry." he said with a sneer,"Sasuke can't play any more. Father wants you, now."

Neko smile a hujungo smile,"Hi! I'm-"

"I don't care."

"Hi Itachi! These are my new friends! That's Scary-Lady, that's Tylendel, that's Kaji, and the pretty lady is Mori! They're my new bestest friends. Cool huh?"

"Not really. Let's go Sasuke." Itachi walked into the woods.

Sasuke frowned,"I'm sorry, Itachi doesn't like people very much."

Kaji grinned,"S'all right Sasuke. If you want you can come here tomorrow and you can hang out with us!"

"Yeah! We'll help you practice your shuriken throwing!" Mori said brightly.

Okay! Bye Scary-Lady, bye Kaji, bye Tylendel. Bye Mori! See you tomorrow!" Then he ran off into the woods after Itachi.

"I like him, he's nice." smiled Kaji.

"HELL YEAH!" agreed Neko with enthusiasm.

"I agree with Neko." grinned Tylendel happily

Mori grinned,"I agree, he is nice."

-:-

Later that night Mori, Neko, and Kaji were walking home when a bright light from the pathway hit them.

Kaji glared into the light,"Tylendel, stop. Go home." The light turned off. Then on farther down the street.

Neko started to smile evilly,"I'm gonna kill you! So stop blinking the damn light!"

Tylendel ran up behind them,"Whatever you're rambling about, it's not me. Here Mori, you forgot your book, again."

Mori took the book absently from Tylendel's hands,"Yeah, thanks 'Lendel. But if it wasn't you, then who . . . "

She trailed off as Neko began tapping her sholder,"Mori? Mori. Mori! MORI!"

Mori turned to a scared Neko,"Yes?"

"The scary dude's here!" she whispered.

"Scary dude?" asked Kaji, concerned for Neko's mental status.

"Scary dude?" echoed Tylendel, over all worried for Neko's overall stupidity.

" . . . SCARY DUDE!" whispered Neko angrily.

"You mean Itachi?" asked Mori."Sasuke's brother?" she added quietly.

"Yeah! Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeah! That dude!"

"I think we should go take a visit to the Uchiha household." stated Mori quietly.

"I agree." said Kaji.

"I second that movement." frowned Tylendel."Something just isn't right."

Neko then began sniffing the air,"Guys? I smell something."

Mori nodded and sniffed the air before gasping,"It's blood."

* * *

**Gin**- :grin: Hi, the lazy Gin-Yasha has finally updated a fic. I've been really busy, my catStorm had her kittens and I've had horrible writer's block on this fic for so long, so yeah. Also, I've started another site with just my fics, so try and go to that area please! My horrible- err, wonderful friend, Aoi-Yasha was giving me death threats- err, great motivation to finish the chappie, so I did. :wry smile: 

**Aoi**- :smirk: I'm pleased to read it!

**Gin**- :glare: Evil witch...

**Aoi**- :happy and peppy: PREEEESENT!

**Gin**- Chappie two is being worked on, so behave and one other thing.

**Aoi**- Yeeeeeeeeeees?

**Gin**- :snort: Anyway, I've decided, I'm gonna be so kind as to say this: The first three reviwers will either get a dedicated chappie in a chappie fic, or a one-shot just for you. I'll email you and tell you, so you'll know. If you don't reply in a week, then I'll take the next person from the list, kk? I'll message back anyone who has questions, so message me with your needs.

**Aoi**- ... me too?

**Gin**- You too. Anyway, message my other name with the questions please! ------ Silver-Serval.

**Aoi**- :teary eyed: You started another web-thingy? Without me?

**Gin**- You knew about it beforehand, duh! Sigh, anyway, do visit Silver-Serval and please R & R!

**Aoi**- I think they already Read it, maybe they just need to Reveiw it?


	2. Blood and Unintentional Enemies

**Blood and Unintentional Enemies**

**_A/N_**- HAHA! I'm back!

Kaji frowned,"You're kidding, right?"

Tylendel glanced around anxiously,"Where's the Uchiha household?"

Neko pointed off into the distance,"That way!"

Mori immediately took charge of the situation, exactly like she had done nearly a year ago,"Neko lead us onwards!" They began to follow the running Neko, while Mori continued telling off orders,"Neko, you and 'Lendel look for survivors, don't get your hopes up on expecting any alive. I'll take Neko and find the betrayers." The last part came out forced as Mori began a tiny decent into her past memories. Kaji knew better than to bother, Mori was reliving a harsh memory from a past night, the night _she_ and all hell broke loose.

They rounded some corners and finally skidded to a halt in front of the Uchiha household. Tylendel held out three handkerchiefs to the girls and they all took one. A small glance around the outside grounds proved it was definitely one killer's work. They entered the house looking a bit like bandits as the cloth kept them from getting light-headed from the metallic smell of blood, which just so happened to be all around them.

Mori and Neko walked into the room on the right of the hallway while Kaji and 'Lendel took the left door. From 'Lendel and Kaji's moans of displeasure, they had found a very mutated body or two. Mori pointed to a room next to them and shot into it with Neko right behind her. In the corner was a broken and beaten Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" screamed Mori.

His head shot up with an unmeasurable amount of wild fear in his eyes,"Mori?"

She began running to the corner of the room while Neko watched her back,"Oh gods alive! Sasuke, you're alive!"

When Mori hugged him, Sasuke began to cry,"They're all gone! It's all my fault! Why? Why did he kill them!"

"Who Sasuke, who killed them?" she asked him as she stroked his back as he sobbed uncontrollably.

"I-Itachi did." he finally whispered.

"Mo-" Neko screamed as she was dragged off.

Mori turned half a second too late,"NEKO!"

She was still sitting with Sasuke when Kaji came running in from where ever she had been, but something was missing from her too. 'Lendel. Itachi had them both.

"Some one took 'Lendel!" She looked around the room,"Oh gods, Sasuke's alive! First one yet." Kaji frowned as another thought occurred to her."Where's Neko!"

Sasuke stopped crying long enough to stammer out,"I-Itachi t-took her!"

Kaji just smiled grimly,"We'll just have to go and got them back now won't we?" It ended up being that Kaji went to search the south side of the house while Sasuke led Mori around the north side of the house.

Sasuke pointed to a room up ahead,"That's Itachi's room."

Mori smiled,"Thanks Sasuke. Now listen, your input is just as good as mine if not better. What do you think we should do?"

Sasuke frowned and answered,"Itachi almost never goes off without his weapons. So he'll come and get them!"

"Okay, we'll just wait here." Mori sat on the edge of the bed and waited silently. Sasuke of course was very tired and lay down, his head was resting on Mori's lap as he drifted off into sleep. Mori absently stroked he older boy's back. Eventually, Mori fell asleep. _Blackness. Complete blackness._ Mori awake to a tight pressure against her throat. She opened her eyes in blind panic and opened her mouth in a silent scream. Itachi, the very same man who, earlier had panicked her, now was trying to strangle her to death. She tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp, but it was all to no avail. Itachi had a firm hold on her neck and she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Mori accidentally kicked Sasuke in the face and woke him. His head shot up and Mori watched as he scurried into the corner.

Then Mori looked -no, she glared- into the eyes beheld be the Uchiha. She punched his face with one of the hands he left free. That proved to be a deadly mistake. He threw he onto the bed and grabbed her wrist. In no time, it was crushed. He did the same with the other wrist and then broke both elbows. Mori was in incredible pain. By all mean, Mori should have fainted from pain, but the pain kept her held between life and death, and she was hanging on by a mere thread. Within a few minutes Sasuke had seen both of Mori's wrists, elbows, and arms broken, and now he was watching her feet be broken. At this, Sasuke could take no more and he ran up only to be shoved back by an invisible force field around his brother and Mori.

Itachi turned and laughed at Sasuke,"Don't worry brother, I won't kill you. You're too weak. You aren't worth my precious time." Then he turned back and continued slowly killing Mori. Then Mori blacked out as Itachi broke her left leg as well. The air around Itachi suddenly pulsed and became shiny silver colored hue. Itachi was thrown into the air and was caught against the ceiling.

Mori floated into the air as Kaji ran into the room screaming,"MORI! NO MORI, STAY STRONG!" Mori sunk to the ground as Itachi somehow got away. Kaji grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her,"Mori! Mori, wake up! Mori please wake up!"

Sasuke went over to Mori and hugged her,"Mori . . . please come back! Please Mori! Help me!" The light silver hue that had appeared moments ago now covered Mori's face as she opened her eyes.

"W-w-what happened?"

Kaji sighed in relief, "Nothing Mori. Absolutely nothing." Kaji smiled as she silenced Sasuke with a small wink. That was when the hue disappeared from sight.

A few hours later, Kaji took Sasuke out of the room while Mori struggled to sit up from the state she previously occupied. Kaji's face was solemn and Sasuke's was pinched with near-fear.

"Sasuke-kun," Kaji began slowly,"I have something very important that you must never tell Mori-chan okay?"

Sasuke nodded,"What's the secret? Does it have something to do with the glowy stuff?" Kaji nearly chuckled, but decided not to break the silence.

"Yeah, that stuff." Kaji took a deep breath."Sasuke, when Mori, Neko and I were born, all on the same day, first me, then Mori, then Neko. The only thing wrong with us was that... we were different. Our mom and dad both had emerald green eyes and blue hair each. Thus they decided to offer these malformed, actually just different, children to the three Supremes. In our very first town, to be a Supreme means to be like a Hokage here okay?" Sasuke nodded carefully.

"Anyway, Neko was given to the woman in charge of the water, and that woman's name was Mizuni Zasuki, and Neko live with her until she reached the age of two where she was then given back to our mother and father. And she grew up thinking that she'd been raised by our 'loving' mother and father all her life. I was given to the man guarding the active volcano, his name was Sunahi Kawakaji. We had a great life together, and he taught me many things in those six years.

"Then he died and I was forced to go and live with my real family. There I found I had two sisters and was overjoyed, but it was wrong and soon I knew why. As for Mori, she had the worst. She was taken in by elemental wolves and she lived a relatively mind life, but as I've come to find out, something bad happened on her second birthday. Something terrible. On that day, she fell into the stream and nearly drowned. In fact, she did, but she resurfaced and was glowing. The wolves who gave me this story was very old and he died soon after I left, but he said Mori was surrounded by an earthily light which shone like the heavens.

"He told me that a few minutes after being drug back to shore, the light slowly disappeared and Mori opened her eyes. And her hair, her poor hair, once a beautiful red and black was now pure silver. He said that Mori had been saved, but by whom he did not know. I researched abut it and found that on that day, at that every time, there was a long meteor shower all across the world. Many saw this and knew it was not expected, but still stood in awe at it. Now I know that the angel that fell from the heavens that day lives in Mori. She saves Mori from pre-mature death. But there is a price to this task, every time this healing takes place, Mori loses some of her memories. Completely and totally gone. Of this only I know. Neko was... side-tracked last time it happened.

"But Sasuke," here Kaji paused,"if Mori doesn't remember you, it's not her fault. You'll get to know each other soon enough again." Sasuke's eyes were filled with tears but he nodded and walked down the hall to sit by the rain which poured down the window.

At this, Kaji reentered the room and was surprised to find Neko sitting chatting with Mori about something to do with a song... Kaji looked at Tylendel who sat on the other side other room and was casually reading an upside-down magazine. Kaji nearly laughed by seriously walked over and smacked him on the head.

"C'mon. We gotta go, tell you later, kay?" Tylendel just nodded and he helped her round up Neko and Mori who gave them little trouble for once.

"Bye brother of scary-dude!" called Neko as she and her sisters and 'Lendel left the Uchiha mansion in the flat out pouring rain. Sasuke waved lazily, but inside, his heart was freezing over from sadness. He would miss them in the years to come.

Mori, now age twelve was sparring with her best friend, also known as her sister Neko. Neko grinned and finished her jutsu by forming the hand sign ox. She grinned wider.

"Wishing Well no Jutsu!" She just smirked as a tall wall of water surrounded Mori who grumbled something about stupid siblings before starting with hand signs of her own. Tiger, horse, dragon, lion, cat.

Mori grinned and yelled,"Hissing Feline no jutsu!" suddenly, the entire well wall splashed down on Neko who hissed in surprise as Mori attacked again. Tiger, horse, snake, tiger, dragon, ox, snake, dog, cat, tiger, cat, horse, bird, ox, bird, snake, tiger, cat, tiger, dog, cat, tiger.

"Big Cats Attack no jutsu!" Suddenly Neko found herself surrounded by big kitties. Very big kitties. She gulped and dashed off to hide.

Iruka sighed,"Well then, Mori wins!"

Sakura Haruno giggled,"Mori! You've got seven straight wins!" Mori glanced over sheepishly.

"Cool." she grinned,"I thought I was just taking out my anger, but okay, that works too!"

Suddenly Iruka stepped up again,"Would anyone like to challenge Mori?" Silently, Naruto Uzumaki stepped up. It took under ten minutes to beat him.

Mori sighed,"People, I'm just like you all, except I like taking my anger out on people if I'm angry. You just happen to be here for me to-"

Suddenly Neko called out from hiding behind Iruka,"Mori, you're a sadist!"

Mori didn't miss a beat,"-take it out on you, and Neko, no I'm not, I get it from you." A girl in the crowd of kids grinned. The boy beside her grinned as well.

Suddenly, the crowd parted waves for another unlucky soul walking up to meet his or her doom. But as he was seen by all, mutters ran through the crowd on the possible outcome. And then Sasuke Uchiha faced Mori Yume with determination met only by Naruto's Hokage's wish. And then Mori smirked, this might be fun after all...

* * *

_**A/N-**_

_**Gin**_- I'm gonna have fun with this fight... heh heh heh heh.Anyway, the offer still stands, the first three reviewes get a dedicated fic and pairings!

**_Aoi_**- Me? Again?

**_Gin_**- Maybe... Anyway,Naruto say the thingy!

**_Naruto_**- Gin-Yasha never has nor never will-

**_Gin_**- Wrong thing... ((sigh)) Sasuke, you try it!

**_Sasuke-_** Read and Review please!

**_Aoi_**- ... what if they already read it?

**_Gin_**- ((smacks Aoi over head)) go 'way. Need sleep... Battle thinking will start tommorow...

**_Sasuke and Naruto_**- ((begins plotting Aoi's downfall))

**_Gin_**- Oh, and boys?

**_Both_**- Yes?

**_Gin_**- ((smiling)) She's right behind you...

**_Ashley_**- ((Evil grin)) KILLKILLKILLKILLKILL! DIEDIEDIEDIEDIE! SODSODSODSODSODSOD!

**_Sasuke and Naruto_**- ((sweat drop)) Safe.

**_Aoi_**- ((Evil teacher gaze)) Not.

**_Gin_**- ((Begins laughing her head off as Sasuke hides behind her back and Naruto behind Hinata and Aoi can't find them anywhere...))


	3. Just Kiss the Pain Away

**Akari's Children**

**By: Gin-Yasha**

**_Author's Note_**- Please read and review. I really hope you like this chapter... It took forever to produce... So I guess the next one should be easier. I hope... Any questions or comments, please send me a PM! I always read them and try to reply back quickly. Anyway, enough of my blabbering; on with the fic!!

_**Dedication**- This is dedicated to my wonderful friends: Aziza, Fiona, Kayla, Kin, Mina, Ash, and Baka-chan. You all know who you are, even the ones I never think to mention. Thank you so much for making the biggest difference in my life. Without you, where in the world would I be today?_

_º¤ø,̧̧,ø¤º°°º¤ø,̧̧ °º¤ø,̧̧,ø¤º°°º¤ø_

_**Chapter 3- Just Kiss the Pain Away**_

º¤ø,̧̧,ø¤º°°º¤ø,̧̧ °º¤ø,̧̧,ø¤º°°º¤ø

Mori sighed softly, eyeing Sasuke with her gold flecked blue eyes. After a moment, she smiled in her heart-tugging way. "May the better ninja win." She then bent into her tai-jutsu stance. She'd be better off starting with that anyways, he'd already seen most of the jutsus she'd been taught here, no reason to show off the others that she'd created or learned on her own.

He nodded slightly, a smirk already crossed his once angelic looking face. "He will." Mori smiled at his overconfident words and waited, allowing him to make the first move.

Neko just blinked curiously as her sister proceeded to take on the academy's number one rookie, Sasuke Uchiha. She shook her head, the name really did ring a bell, but she didn't know why... **(1)**

Kaji sighed softly, bright red eyes glued to the spar before her. She could clearly remember the day that Mori had lost practically all of the memories from her 8th birthday and from when she'd met, and helped save, Sasuke. As the oldest sister, Kaji knew very well she could never let something bad befall her younger sibling, a good reason to why she had warned Sasuke. But when they'd left, she couldn't help but notice the tears that had filled his eyes...

Maybe fifteen or so minutes later, both Sasuke and Mori dropped to their knees, stamina and chakra depleted to almost nothing. They continued glaring at each other, making Iruka shake his head. "This is a draw, both of you, go home, class is done for the day." Such kind words from their sensei.

Neko dropped down from the perch in the tree with the swing on it which she had assumed about half-way through the spar. She giggled with excitement before pouncing Mori who tried, in a loving way of course, to shove her off. "Great job!! I didn't think you'd last that long again Sasuke."

Mori stared at her like she'd grown a second head before frowning and poking the younger girl in the chest lightly. "You have doubts about my awesome power? That I, Mori, your very loved sister, could not beat the pulp out of the punk?"

"Uhm... Yeah. Pretty much," answered Neko with a truthful grin.

Mori just shook her head. "You idiot." Neko was about to retort with something sharp and peppy, maybe 'Preeesent!' or something of the sort, but Mori had already disappeared.

º¤ø,̧̧,ø¤º°°º¤ø,̧̧ °º¤ø,̧̧,ø¤º°°º¤ø

Mori sighed softly, staring moodily out from the large window in her bedroom in the apartment which she shared with both Kaji and Neko. Her head had started to hurt really bad after the spar she'd done with Sasuke, and it still didn't let up, not even after a glass of tea and some pain pills. She frowned and continued to stare moodily out the window.

º¤ø,̧̧,ø¤º°°º¤ø,̧̧ °º¤ø,̧̧,ø¤º°°º¤ø

A few days later, after the incident with Mizuki, Iruka, and Naruto, she sat in the classroom, awaiting to hear the team she'd be put on. Naruto passed by her, on his way up to find a seat near the back of the classroom. She smiled slightly and whispered as he walked by: "Great job. You really will be Hokage some day." He spun around, staring at her slightly dumbstruck before punching the air with his right hand in a show of victory.

She just smiled, laying her head on the desk. The seat to her immediate right was soon taken over by Neko who plopped down backwards in the chair, yet facing the same way as Mori was. "Well, he passed."

"I know." she whispered.

A pair of hands slammed down in front of her face, making Mori twitch slightly before she looked up into pair of light brown eyes. Tylendel stared back at her before grinning in an impish manner, "Are you ready to be a on a team?"

Mori grinned back before mocking his tone playfully. "The question should be: 'Are you adept enough not to kill your team', isn't that right, 'Lendel." It was more a statement than a question, but instead of being angry, Tylendel just grinned wider, if possible.

"I know I can, but can you?"

He was prevented form saying more by Kaji who appeared on the side farthest away from Neko who was now dozing merrily on her desk. "Who'd enjoy today's honor of re-awakening her?"

Tylendel's eyes widened and his hand shot up, "Me! Me! Pick me!"

Just to be cruel, Kaji pointed at the person standing on Tylendel's other side. "You, sir or ma'am, are our lucky contestant on today's show: 'Who can wake the idiot'! You have-" She paused as Tylendel moved a bit, turning his head to see who it was.

Sasuke, in all his pitch black glory, stared back at them. "What kind of a ninja are you." Another statement instead of a question.

Neko grinned slightly, peeking up from her nap. "We're genin, the lowest of the food chain currently, but sooner or later, we'll be chunin then jonin. What about you?" Tylendel stared at her.

"Sure intelligent words from such a tiny brain," he teased. "Are we sure that this is _our_ Neko?" Mori watched Kaji jab her in the side. Neko hissed at both her oldest sister and her boyfriend.

She nodded slowly at this. "That's Nek. No one else would do that." Mori smiled and ruffled Neko's hair, making the girl shoot her a dirty look.

Sooner than they wanted, everyone else was ushered to their seats, including Sasuke and the group of girls in the back who had been silently fawning over him. Mori silently shook her head, being so close the raven haired male has made her head ache again. Kaji looked back at Mori, her bright red eyes looking slightly pained. She shook off the look Mori had on her face and turned around to stare pointedly at Iruka who was now announcing teams.

All four, the four being Tylendel, Kaji, Neko, and Mori, all zoned out until they heard their names in the same sentence. Mori looked up, eyeing her old sensei. It seemed that she and her sisters were on the same team as Tylendel. She shook her head and zoned out again until lunch bell rang.

Once the sharp 'buzz' sounded, she made the hand sign of the tiger and poofed outside to the swing underneath the tree. She could feel the lazy strands of chakra from the tree, reaching out to sooth her soul. It was something, so she knew, that her chakra did. She could feel the presences of others. And the tree was the current one near her, still timidly reaching out to sooth her anger-infested mind with was still aching like no tomorrow.

Mori shook her head again, closing her eyes in concentration. She'd make this headache kick the bucket. There had to be a jutsu or something that could and would help her out. As she mentally searched her reserves of jutsus, she never felt the presence behind her until the scent of spicy scent of crushed cinnamon and marigold reached her nose.

Mori's eyes shot open and she leapt to her feet, spinning around to come face-to-face with a young woman who was maybe in her early twenties. "I couldn't help but notice how hurt your mind felt." The tree reached out again and then Mori realized what had happened. This woman, as little as she knew about her, was one of the few who could merge their chakra with plants. They were botanists from the Clover clan.

"I'm fine," she whispered softly, quite unsure how to act around this woman.

The woman smiled in the way that made you smile back. "Trying to hide your pain, eh? What happens when you're on a team with people who depend on you, but you're injured. Wouldn't you feel that for both their safety and your own, you'd tell them?"

Mori opened her mouth but quickly closed it again with a: "Yes, ma'am."

The woman's green eyes flawed with blue speckles danced with mirth as she grinned slightly. "So don't you think it might be wise to let someone you will depend on know what's the matter?"

The words didn't really register in Mori's mind, she just sighed softly. "My head hurts a lot lately."

"When is that?" asked the woman patiently, hesitantly reaching out to the girl with her chakra.

Mori had to think about her answer, so while she was doing this, she didn't feel the timid bit chakra touch her and then begin undoing the knots which had mentally lagged her soul. Finally, she decided upon this: "It's usually when I'm in a big group of people. Usually when I'm with my friends or..." Mori trailed off, trying to remember who the somber boy with the black hair was.

The woman took it as something else and smiled slightly, reaching her hand out to ruffle Mori's hair. "It ever happen around just one person?"

"Yes." Mori didn't hesitate in that reply. "He has really dark hair and eyes to match... I know I should know who he is, but thinking about it makes my head hurt..."

"Does your head hurt now," she asked.

After a moment more, Mori shook her head. "It feel like the pain is still there, but not there at all. Like it's disconnected from me."

She nodded. "Novocaine Mind Touch no jutsu. It should stay like that for a day or so...I'll keep checking up on that, so don't bother to hesitate if it starts hurting again. I don't mind helping you." Mori nodded slowly, mentally checking the bubble that seemed to have formed around the raw once throbbing part of her memories. There were no cracks, a wonderful jutsu of the Clover clan.

"Thank you..." Mori smiled at her and hesitantly stood to hug the older woman. She hugged back before sighing softly. "Unfortunately, lunch break is over soon, and I do have a team to catch." She grinned at Mori, an impish smile lighting up her face.

Mori felt a twinge of jealousy, already envious of the team that would be her genin. They'd be well trained and taken care of. "Alright, and thanks again."

"Don't mention it. All I can do to help a struggling fellow kunoichi." She spun around to head back to the academy, an arm raised lazily above her head to wave at Mori who just smiled. She could distantly hear the words: "And remember, a team has to be able to rely on their leader..." Mori tucked that away, swearing that no matter what, she would remember that bit of truth.

She watched the woman disappear inside the building before another, and much more so angry, aura tingled at her spine. She spun around to find Sasuke standing almost directly behind her, his deep, dark onyx black eyes staring directly at her. "Mori," he said in greeting, his voice hinted at anger, but Mori decided against following it to the source.

"Hello..." she said softly, grasping for the name of the young man before her.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he supplied for her, almost as if he knew about her inner struggle. She smiled and nodded.

"Hello, Sasuke Uchiha." She promised herself that she'd not forget that name either.

He stared at her, conflict of the year behind his eyes. Mori could barely see what was the matter. For if she looked into those eyes, all that was known was that they were deep and emotionless as well as depth less...

Eventually, she sighed softly, making a move to get back up to her feet and go back inside the academy before the second bell would ring. But as she stood, her eyes caught his and she froze in mid-movement. "Sasuk-" Mori was cut off from excusing herself by a pair of warm and soft lips over her own.

Her eyes shot open in surprise, yet she made no move to shove him away. Soon after, her eyes closed silently, savoring the feeling that felt so right. A soft rustle in the trees above them made both Sasuke and Mori jump away from each other, a light blush on their faces, but Mori's was a bit more visible. She smiled sweetly at him, the smile that could either break someone's heart or make them smile back before she hurried off into the academy, eyes feverishly bright with glee and surprise.

She paused in front of a table which Kaji was talking to Tylendel at. "Where's Nek-ers," she asked, using one of the many nicknames for the youngest of the three sisters.

Kaji was the one to answer her first, receiving a mock glare from Tylendel, "Bathroom, she'll be back quick. She wanted to tell us something she 'overheard' while eating lunch."

Tylendel snorted in an undignified manner into his hands. " 'Overheard' my a-" the object of desire, Neko, stepped into the room at that moment, glaring at Tylendel from behind a mop of wet, blood-red bangs.

"I did overhear it! I was searching for Mori. I just went out the back way instead," she sniffed haughtily, nose in the air.

"Uh huh... I believe that," grinned Tylendel.

Kaji sighed, shooting the boy one of her infamous 'silence' looks, "'Lendel, shush. What story did you supposedly overhear, Nek-ers?"

Neko dropped her voice to a whisper so that the few students already in the room, back form their lunch break wouldn't be able to hear, "Sasuke was about to kiss Sakura, but he got up and ran away reaaally fast, so I stayed to watch as about five minutes later, he came back, cool as ever, demanding to know where Naruto was."

Tylendel snorted into his hand again, "Bet you five dollars we know who the first Sasuke was."

"Shut it, 'Lendel." said Neko before continuing on with the story. "So Sakura's all like 'You always chatter about him, let's talk about us. He always gets in our way,' and Sasuke just gives her a seven point six scale glare-"

Kaji shuddered, exchanging a look with both Neko and Mori. They'd rated Sasuke's and a few key other's glaring and such on scales of one to ten, one being least, ten being most. Sasuke's usually averaged around a five point one or something then raised up to around a seven, but starting so high, he must have been pretty angry...

"Anyway, they argue a bit, Sasuke, surprisingly, for Naruto and such while Sakura against him. Sasuke won, of course... but did you even heard Naruto was orphaned?" Neko's eyes were all tear-filled. Someone like them, another orphaned-child in the city.

"No..." answered Kaji for the three still listening. "Who said that?"

"Well, both, at one point or another. But Sasuke first, I think." replied Neko thoughtfully.

"Takes one to know one." whispered Mori before she winced and rubbed at her head. Kaji glanced at her curiously, wondering if maybe, just maybe she was starting to remember a bit more. After the pain subsided again, Mori looked up to catch Neko say:

"So Sasuke stormed off... I'd not like to be in Naruto's shoes when either Sasuke or I catch him..."

"Why both you and Sasuke?" asked Tylendel, brown eyes curious.

She pointed to her still damp red hair then to her mostly dry outfit. "Bucket of water."

Kaji grinned at her. "It looks wonderful on you." She was smacked in the back of the head by Neko's flying fist of fury.

Mori glanced at Tylendel who glanced back. They exchanged impish grins before saying in a unison sing-song tone: "We love you, Neko."

Neko snorted at them, "Get a job, you lazy bums." She grinned to show she was kidding and placed her head upon the desk with a soft yawn and a "Wake me when our teacher gets here."

Mori nodded slightly, promising that she would before her eyes strayed to the other side of the classroom where Sakura and Sasuke sat, watching Naruto, who'd just snuck in, as he tried to rig a chalkboard eraser to fall on the stupider of the senseis. The one to walk through the door.

Mori sighed, laying her own head upon the table, eyeing Sasuke silently until their gazes intersected. She gave a soft squeak and turned her head to continue watching Naruto.

She heard someone call: "Do you really think a jonin would fall for that?"

Obviously one did, because just then, a loud _ploof_ was heard and a cloud of chalk dust began spreading out. Two people came in through the door, one was a silver-haired jonin with most of his face covered by cloth.

"Yo, I'm team seven's sensei."

The other one smiled slightly, shoulder length brown hair speckled slightly with chalk dust. "You must be my new team of genin..." Mori's head shot up and she stared in shock at the green eyed woman who's eyes were flawed with blue speckles.

"You!"

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**(1)**- It's been some time since they'd met, and after Mori lost her memories, she, Neko, Tylendel, and Kaji didn't hang out near Sasuke much.

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_**Review responses!**_

**BlueroseS.S**- Feel proud again, lol. I have updated! And, I think that I did a good job. _:dances all happy like and celebrates with cookies and milk!:_

**RaineJoybringer**- Yeah, I went through after it had been posted... I can honestly swear I had the lines in there! _:pouts:_ Anyway, just as a random judge, but have a gotten any better? I've been trying. :)

**Serena-Masked13**- As I said to Raine, I put in some lines thingies now... and I could still swear that when I posted chappie 2, there were lines... I'll go through and edit it soon.

**Mint Pizza Queen**- I'm glad you liked that chappie, this one's probably gonna end up as my favorite for a long time to come.

**buttons413**- Yeah, I added a bit more to her abilities that I previously wanted to... But it turned out for the best. I like how this story is going so far.

**uchiha hikari**- Glad you liked it so much. . Here's your update, not quite as soon as wanted, but I'll try much harder from now on!


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